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GUIVEAIN FIXTURE. No. 345,811. Patented July 20,- 1886.

l M. l

Unirse STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY XV. SIMMS, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-IIALF TO FERDINAND JOHNSON, OF SAME PLACE.

FIXTURE.

QLIYCIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,811, dated Jny 20, 1886.

Application filed January 18, 1386. Serial No. 188,837. (No modi-i.)

.To @ZZ wtom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. Sinus, a citizen of the United States, residing in Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michi- 5 gan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CurtaiirFiXtures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

rIhis invention relates to that class of curio tain-fixtures in which a spring is arranged within the roller, and operates to revolve the roller and wind the curtain thereon, and in which the roller is supported by a slotted bracket having a spring sustaining the rolleri5 journal, and a ratchet and pawl for retaining the roller in any position 'is used; and my improvement consists, chieily, in forming Aa curved slot, so that the device may be more easily and satisfactorilyoperated, and in the construction, arrangement, and combination ot' the parts, as I hereinafter more fully describe and claim; andthe object ofthe inven tion is to provide an easy and effective lneans of changing the length of the roller, to adapt it to windows of different widths, and to arrange a stopping device which will check the revolution ot' the roller at any desired point, so that when the curtain is pulled down tothe proper position and quickly released, the deo vice will hold it in that position without any attention being given to the catching device. I attain these objects by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a front view of a portion of the roller and the fixture. Fig. 2 is a front view of the opposite end of the roller, with a portion cut out, showing the inclosed spring. Fig. 3 is an end View ofthe fixture. Fig. 4t is a front view of a portion ofthe roller with the extension partly drawn out. Fig. 5 is a section at x x. Fig. G is a view of a portion of Fig. i detached. Fig. 7 is an inside view ofthe bracket shown in Fig. 3.

Similar letters referto si milar parts throughont the several views.

A represents a roller, upon which the curtain is to be wound. In one end of this roller is a cylindrical chamber, b, and Within the chamber is placed a coihspring, c, one end being secured to the roller and the opposite end to the rod or shaft d, which is passed into the center of the chamber through the end piece, c. The outer end of this shaft il is arranged with ilattened sides, which are passed into a suita ble bearing in the supporting-bracket f, so that when the roller is revolved the shaft (Z will remain stationary, and the spring c will receive a tension which will, when the roller is released, cause it to revolve in the opposite direction. In the opposite end of the roller is cut the slits or openings g, and into these openings are passed the wings h of the eXtension-piece i. Upon the outer edges of these wings hy are arranged the flanges j, which lap over the outside of the roller at the edges of the slits g, and serve to support the parts between the slits, and to support the curtain between the wings when the piece i is partly withdrawn for extending the roller. Upon one. of the flanges 7.: is arranged a groove, in the outer end ot' which is secured a lug or projecting part, in. The under side ot' this lug m is beveled toward the grocve1eavV ing somewhat more space between the outer end of the lug and the groovethan at the inner end, and a piecen, curved to iit the groove, is placed within the salue, and with one'end beneath the lug m, and with its opposite end extending beyond the flange ls, and held iu position by a screw, o, passing through the extended end and into the slit in the roller. Upon the outer end of this exten sioni are arranged notches or teeth p, and a central pivot, q, which rests in a hole, i', formed in the bracket s. This hole Ir is in the form of a curved slot, the length of the slot being nearly vertical, and the pivot q is held in position in the upper part of the slot r by a spring, 1., which is secured to the bracket. Au upward extending portion, il, of the bracket is provided with inwardly-projeeting teeth o, which are arranged to engage with the teeth p when the pivot l is resting in the upper part of the slot r, and to pass clear of the teeth when the pivot rests iu the lower part of the slot. In operating the device, the ex tension i is placed in a proper position to conform to the width of the window. The cur- ICO screw 0 is then passed through the piece a and the curtain and into the roller, pressing the curtain firmly into the groove. This piece may be provided, if necessary, with projecting teeth, which press into the curtain to assist in holding it in position. The remaining portion of the upper edge of the curtain may be nailed or otherwise secured to the roller, which is then placed in position in the brackets f and s, which have previously been properly secured to the casing with the spring t, holding the pivot g in the upper portion of the slot fr. The proper tension is then given to the spring c and the curtain wound upon the roller. The teeth or notches p then engage with the teeth n, and prevent the spring from further action upon the roller.

For operating the curtain the free end of the curtain is drawn downward, which first acts to move thel pivot (l to the lower portion of the slot r, thereby releasing the teeth p and u from engagement, and then the curtain may be drawn downward until the desired point is reached, when the curtain is released and the pivot at once is lifted by the spring t to the upper portion of the slot, and the teeth p and o are again brought into engagement. In order to again raise the curtain, the free end of the curtain is drawn downward until the teeth 1) and o arc released from engagement and held free, and the hand gradually raised to allow the curtain to wind upon the roller until the desired position is reached, when the curtain is again released and the teeth p and o engage and hold the curtain, as before. The tension of the spring 'c must be regulated so that the roller will revolve while power enough to overcome the tension of the spring t is applied by the hand. This slot r may be straight and produce a similar effect, but I prefer to slightly curve the sides thereof", so that when the pivot q rests against the curved side w, a portion of the tension of the spring t is brought to bear against the side w, which allows the curtain to be more easily governed by the hand when being raised. Y

I am aware that curtain-rollers formed of two parts and having an extension-piece with wings sliding between the parts is in use, also that a pawl and ratchet is not new in connection with eurtainfixtures, and I do not claim the same, broadly; but with the construction and arrangement of the parts as I herein describe I produce a more durable and easilyoperated device, as well as reduce the cost of the manufacture of the same.

1. In a curtain-xture, a shade-roller having the slits g cut through and quartering the roller for a portion of its length, in combina tion with the eXtension-piece t', having the wings lt passed into the slits,'and the pivot q on its outer end, the flangesj, projecting on each side ofthe outer edges of the Said wings and extending their entire 1engt-h,and adapted to support the curtain between the wings when the extension is partly withdrawn from the roller, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. In a curtain-fixture, the combination of the curtain roller a, having the slits g in one end, the extension-piece i, provided with the wings 7L passed into the slits, and the flanges j and 7c on the edges of the wings, with the grooveZ formed in the flange 7c, the piece n. within the groove, the lug m, and the screw o, holding the piece n in position, and the pivot q, substantially as herein set forth.

8. In a curtain-fixture, the curtain a', the roller a, having an actuating spring, the pivot q, and feethp upon the end ofthe roller, the supportiiig-bracket s, having the extended part u and teeth u, and the lifting-spring t beneath the pivot, in combination with the slot r, having a curved portion, w, at itslower end, whereby the resistance of thespringt is partly overcome when the curtain is being operated, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

4. In a curtainfxture, the combination, with the curtain and roller having an actuating-spring, the teeth p and pivot q upon the end of the roller, the bracket s, having the curved slot r, carrying the pivot, of the part a, extending from the bracket above the said slot and provided on its upper portion with the teeth v, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

In witness I hereunto affix my signature. HENRY \V. SIMMS. Vitn esses:

W. H. POWER, J. E. THOMAS. 

